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Latest on VEISHEA riots, celebration cancelled

The Iowa State University VEISHEA celebration has been cancelled after a riot overnight.

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Updated: 9:43 PM CDT Apr 9, 2014

Latest on VEISHEA riots, celebration cancelled

The Iowa State University VEISHEA celebration has been cancelled after a riot overnight.

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Updated: 9:43 PM CDT Apr 9, 2014

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WEBVTT Good afternoon. VEISHEA week in Ames has ended almost as soon as it began. Hundreds of students turned into a violent mob last night ... Flipping over cars and tearing down light poles in the campustown area.. One person was seriously injured. And now, I-S-U President Steven Leath has cancelled the remainder of this year's event. Our Team 8 coverage begins with Steffani Nolte, live from Campus-town. I'm down here on Welch Ave. Right now there are no signs of what happened last night... most of the damage has been cleaned up. It all started about 11-thirty with a party on the 2600 block of Hunt street. Officers say they got some good cooperation leaving that area. But then a crowd started gathering on Welch. And a car was flipped over. That's when officers knew this was turning into a serious situation. People throwing beer bottles, rocks, dancing on top of ATMS. Pretty much anything that wasn't nailed down was vandalized. They even ripped street signs and light poles out of the ground.. One man was hit in the head with a light pole and was seriously injured. 18:25 THE TIDE REALLY TURNED FOR US AFTER, UNFORTUNATELY IT TOOK THE SERIOUS INJURY OF THE YOUNG MAN BUT AT THAT POINT I THINK PEOPLE STARTED TO REALIZE WHAT A MISTAKE HAD BEEN MADE. WE HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE SAYING THEY WERE JUST EMBARASSED ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING. Last night officers only made a couple of arrests... Because they were so busy with crowd management. But, Ames police are going through a lot of video and pictures they've received from the scent.. to try to identify people involved with criminial activity. IF they can... Those people will be arrested. Styephanie Nolte beginning our Team coverage at five.. Thanks. Of course this far from the first time that VEISHEA has ben marred by violence. In 1997.... A young man was stabbed to death on the front lawn at Adelante Fraternity. The latest incident occurred in 2- thousand and 4... when a riot broke out during the early morning hours of April 18th... ultimately causing more than 250- thousand dollars in damage to public and private property. A week later... Former ISU President Gregory Geoffroy announced that VEISHEA would not be held the following year. There were other problems in 1988, 1992, and ten years ago. We'll looki at scenes from those violent Veishea's at six... But Back to today ... As the very top leadership at I-S-U is forced to make a decision similar to that cancellation a decade ago. Our Team 8 coverage continues with Vanessa Peng. Vanessa, It sounds like the consequences were swift and decisive. Kevin, President Leath says he made the decision with a mixed mind and heavy heart ..... It was in this building behind me -- President Leath and his senior cabinet reached a decision that is devastating to the University and the Ames community. leath, 27:46 "I'M HERE REALLY TO EXPRESS MY EXTREME DISSAPOINTMENT AND SADNESS OVER THE CAMPUSTOWN INCIDENT." 53 You can see the exhaustion and heartache on Iowa State President Steven Leath's face as he suspends VEISHEA, effective Wednesday evening at 5. The cancellation impacts almost all Veishea- affiliated activities, including the parade that draws in thousands of people from around the surrounding communities. leath, 30:03 HUMAN SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY HERE HAS TO BE OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY WE CANNOT HAVE ANYMORE PROPERTY DESTROYED OR INCIDENTS OF THIS NATURE." 30:11 Leath says the Campustown riots on Tuesday night puts another black eye on VEISHEA. Three other similar incidents happened in 1992, 1994 and 2004. The President and his senior cabinet came to the conclusion after a Tuesday morning closed meeting. leath 40: 39 WE DIDN'T TAKE THIS DECISION LIGHTLY WE FACTORED IN ALL THESE THINGS AND WE ARE WHERE WE ARE BUT THERE'S NOT A SINGLE PERSON AT THAT TABLE THAT ISN'T DISSAPOINTED WITH WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW." 49 Dozens of students filled the South Ballroom at the Memorial Union to hear the news -- none of them knew what to expect --- many reacted with tears. Rohan Sharma, ISU Senior 57:44 "SOME OF THE ON CAMPUS ACTIVITIES THAT I WOULD HAVE LOVED LIKE THE PARADE THE TRADITIONAL CHERRY PIE, LIKE ALL THE BASIC VEISHEA TRADITIONS NOT HAVING TO DO THAT MY LAST YEAR THAT'S REALLY DISAPPOINTING." 59 Jessica Andersen, ISU Freshman54:27 "I'VE NEVER BEEN TO THE VEISHEA BEFORE WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE ON CAMPUS ACTIVITIES AND NOW I'M NEVER GOING TO KNOW WHAT I MISSED OUT ON." 33 As for the future of VEISHEA... President Leath has called for a Task Force to look at that. And, there is no word yet on if

Latest on VEISHEA riots, celebration cancelled

The Iowa State University VEISHEA celebration has been cancelled after a riot overnight.